KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Jackson County grand jury indicted a man this week in the shooting death of a 19-year-old pregnant woman in November 2023 at Independence Center Mall.
Leandre Peterson, Jr., is charged with second-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with physical evidence, according to court records.
The gunfire that killed Karla Brown happened at 2:24 p.m. just inside the north entrance to the mall, located at 18813 East 39th Street.
Brown went to the mall with three other people and a verbal confrontation broke out with a second group of people before the shooting started.
An off-duty police officer on assignment at the Dillard's store found Brown, who was four months pregnant, on the floor near the north entrance with a life-threatening gunshot wound to her head, according to a court document.
She had been sitting on a mall courtesy chair about 30 feet from a breezeway where the gunfire began.
The group that Brown came to the mall with left her at the mall and drove to nearby Centerpoint Medical Center.
Peterson drove his group to Centerpoint Hospital, dropped off the victims and left, a court document said.
Investigators found blood and bullet casings from several firearms on the main entrance sidewalk to the mall.
Peterson is scheduled to be in court for an arraignment on July 9.
—
